System and apparatus for research and testing of small aquatic species

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for testing and researching aquatic species is provided. The apparatus includes a housing rack for housing a tank. The apparatus further includes one or more dividers for dividing the at least one tank into one or more compartments. The apparatus further includes a collection channel and a downspout in each compartment for draining of water from each compartment. The apparatus further includes one or more lids for covering the one or more compartments.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser.No. 13/765,763, filed Feb. 13, 2013, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/597,901 filed Feb. 13, 2012,entitled “APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR RESEARCH AND TESTING OFSMALL AQUATIC SPECIES” and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.61/739,050 filed Dec. 19, 2012, entitled “APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHODFOR RESEARCH AND TESTING OF SMALL AQUATIC SPECIES”, all of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus and a methodfor research and testing of small aquatic species, and particularly toan apparatus and method for various screening procedures of Danio rerio,commonly known as zebrafish.

2. Description of Related Art

Animals are used extensively in genetic research. Among other purposesand benefits, such genetic research helps scientists locate andunderstand the causes of various diseases and behaviors that manifest inhumans. Many animals have enough genetic similarities to humans to makethem good analogs for genetic testing, as they are easy to breed andthere are lesser ethical considerations than performing genetic testingon humans. One such animal is the Danio rerio, commonly known as thezebrafish, which is a vertebrate like humans. Because of thissimilarity, it is likely that zebrafish have similar biological traits,including genes, developmental processes, anatomy, physiology, andbehaviors.

Various screening processes are performed on zebrafish, such asgenotyping and embryonic screening for mutant phenotypes. Currently,when DNA or embryos are being screened, the zebrafish are housed inindividual tanks that range in size from about 0.8 liters to 2 liters.Such tanks are much larger than necessary. One liter can holdapproximately 5-15 individual zebrafish. However, during the screeningprocess, this volume of water is used to house either individuals orpairs of zebrafish only, which amounts to an extremely inefficient useof water and space. These tanks are commonly stored on housing racks.Because the size of each tank is so large compared to the number ofzebrafish being housed in each tank, each rack is able to store only arelatively minimal amount of zebrafish. Therefore, more racks arerequired. This makes for a very inefficient testing set up, poor use oflab space and time consuming efforts in connection with transporting thezebrafish to and from the testing area.

In addition, due to this inefficient set up and storage method, often,the zebrafish in these tanks are kept off system where they are notadequately monitored. This may result in the water developing into poorcondition, thereby becoming hazardous to the zebrafish. This may alsoresult in unnecessary stress to the experimental animals.

Furthermore, microtiter plates are commonly used to store or house thesamples/specimens extracted from the zebrafish during a screeningprocess, particularly genotyping. A microtiter plate typically has 6,24, 96, 384, or even 1536 sample wells arranged in a ‘2:3’ rectangularmatrix. Therefore, it is critical to the research that the tanks areproperly labeled so the samples/specimens extracted from the zebrafishand stored in a specific well of a microtiter plate are matched with theappropriate zebrafish from which it was extracted. This requires anextremely painstaking and time-consuming process in which researchers,many of whom are Ph.D.'s, must use up valuable research time in order toproperly label each individual tank.

Moreover, the embryonic screening process, which is very commonlyperformed in laboratories, involves the breeding of hundreds of pairs ofzebrafish every week. After the zebrafish breed and spawn, and theembryos are collected, the spawning zebrafish are placed in holdingtanks while the embryos are screened for mutant phenotypes. If theembryos show interesting phenotypes, the pair that produced thoseembryos is retrieved and additional steps, including out-crossing andmore pair-wise crossing, are taken to isolate the gene that was mutated.

In many cases, this process could take years to isolate the mutatedgene. Due to the high volume of pairs of zebrafish that are bred eachweek, an excessive amount of water and storage space is required. Also,given the painstaking nature and potential lengthiness of the process,it is critical that items are properly labeled and records properlykept. Again, valuable research time is wasted labeling to try tominimize the risk of errors.

Therefore, a need exists for a versatile apparatus, system, and methodfor various types of testing of zebrafish in an efficient and effectivemanner.

SUMMARY

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide anapparatus for testing and researching aquatic species. The apparatusincludes, but is not restricted to a housing rack for housing at leastone tank, one or more dividers for dividing the at least one tank intoone or more compartments, a collection channel in each of the one ormore compartments for draining water from the one or more compartments,one or more lids for covering the one or more compartments, at least onewater supply source, one or more rails at bottom surface of the tank forlocking the tank onto a tank-holding bar, at least one basket that isplaced into at least one compartment of the tank for allowing easierremoval of aquatic species from the tank, and a

insert that may be placed into at least one tank for facilitatingspawning process of the aquatic species.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention further provide asystem for testing and researching aquatic species. The system includes,but is not restricted to, at least one tank comprising compartments andsub-compartments formed by one or more dividers, a housing rack foraccommodating the at least one tank, a collection channel and adownspout for each compartment for draining of water from eachcompartment, and one or more lids to cover each compartment, wherein thehousing rack further comprises multiple shelves, drawers on shelves forresting at least one tank, drainage troughs on the shelves into whichwater from the downspout drain, a water collection tank into which waterfrom the drainage troughs drain, and a pump for pumping the water fromthe water collection tank to water supply sources.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention further provide amethod for testing and researching small aquatic species, particularlyzebrafish. The method comprises: providing a housing rack, providing atleast one tank on a shelf of the housing rack, placing dividers into theat least one tank to create one or more compartments in the at least onetank, filing the at least one tank with water, and performing testing onthe aquatic species.

Further, the present invention can provide a number of advantagesdepending on its particular configuration. First, embodiments of thepresent invention provide an apparatus and a method for housing smallaquatic species for research purposes. Embodiments of the presentinvention provide a very efficient research setup by minimizing effortsand time consumption required for transportation of aquatic species fromresearch lab. Embodiments of the present invention make a very efficientuse of lab space by minimizing apparatus requirements. Embodiments ofthe present invention enable use of dividers to create compartmentswithin a tank that allows a tank to accommodate more number of aquaticspecies. This saves a lot of space, resources, efforts, and researchtime.

Furthermore, by using embodiments of the present invention, theresearchers will be able to save time by placing the fish in thesub-compartment. Additionally, this reduces the risk of erroneouslymislabeling or mixing up of individual tanks, thereby preserving theintegrity of the test results. Furthermore, valuable space in theresearch laboratory will be saved by housing the fish in appropriatelysized sub-compartments rather than oversized tanks.

These and other advantages will be apparent from the disclosure of thepresent invention contained herein.

The phrases “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and/or” are open-endedexpressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. Forexample, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C”, “at leastone of A, B, or C”, “one or more of A, B, and C”, “one or more of A, B,or C” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and Btogether, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together.

The term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity. Assuch, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can beused interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted the terms“comprising”, “including”, and “having” can be used interchangeably.

The preceding is a simplified summary of the present invention toprovide an understanding of some aspects of the present invention. Thissummary is neither an extensive nor exhaustive overview of the presentinvention and its various embodiments. It is intended neither toidentify key or critical elements of the present invention nor todelineate the scope of the present invention but to present selectedconcepts of the present invention in a simplified form as anintroduction to the more detailed description presented below. As willbe appreciated, other embodiments of the present invention are possibleutilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features setforth above or described in detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and still further features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent upon consideration of the followingdetailed description of embodiments thereof, especially when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view drawing of a tank in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view drawing of a 96 well plate in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view drawing of two of the tanks of FIG. 1 and the96 well plate of FIG. 2 in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view drawing of a tank in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view drawing of a tank filled with water andconnected to a water source in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view drawing of a tank filled with water andconnected to a source of water in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view drawing of the tank of FIG. 1 and lids inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view drawing of the tank of FIG. 1, illustratingthe step of applying one lid to one compartment in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view drawing of the tank of FIG. 1, illustratingthe step of applying one lid to one compartment in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view drawing of the tank of FIG. 1, illustratingthe step of applying two lids to two compartments in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view drawing of the tank of FIG. 1, illustratingthe step of applying two lids to two compartments in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view drawing of the tank of FIG. 1, illustratingthe step of applying a plurality of lids to the compartments inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a top plan view drawing of the tank of FIG. 1, with aplurality of sub-compartment dividers and compartment lids in place inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 14A and 14B are front elevation view of a divider, and frontelevation view of a tank with plurality of such dividers, respectively,in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 15A and 15B are front elevation views of a divider having anopening covered by a fine mesh, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 16 is a front elevation view drawing of a plurality of tanks housedon a housing rack in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 17 is a side elevation view drawing of the tank of FIG. 5positioned on a drawer on a shelf of a housing rack in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a side elevation view drawing of the tank of FIG. 5positioned on an extended drawer on a shelf of the housing rack inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a top plan view drawing of four tanks in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a top plan view of a tank with sub-compartment dividers and aback cover in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a top plan view of the tank of FIG. 18 with sub-compartmentdividers and a back cover inserted into the tank in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 22 is a side elevation view of the system illustrating how waterflows through a compartment of a tank to a drainage trough on a housingrack in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 23 is an expanded front elevation view of compartments of the tankof FIG. 18 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the tank of FIG. 18 illustrating thestep of inserting/removing a sub-compartment divider in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 25 is a top plan view of a tank divided into twelvesub-compartments in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 26 is a top plan view of a tank filled with water and fish butwithout any sub-compartment dividers in accordance with one embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 27 is an expanded top plan view illustrating a sliding mechanismfor inserting compartment lids in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 28A, 28B, 28C, and 28D illustrate front and perspective views of atank on a housing rack, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 29A illustrates a tank with rails at its bottom surface for lockingthe tank onto a tank-holding bar, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 29B illustrates side elevation view of the rails that is attachedat the bottom surface of the tank for locking the tank onto thetank-holding bar;

FIG. 29C illustrates bottom elevation view of the rails that is attachedat the bottom surface of the tank for locking the tank onto thetank-holding bar;

FIG. 30 is a front elevation view of a housing rack with largerindividual tanks in accordance with an existing system and method fortesting zebrafish;

FIGS. 31A and 31B illustrate perspective view of a housing rack withlarger individual tanks and a 96 well plate in accordance with anexisting system and method for testing zebrafish;

FIG. 32A illustrates a shelf adapter that allows the tank to fit onracks designed for taller tanks, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 32B illustrates side elevation view of the shelf adapter thatallows the tank to fit on racks designed for taller tanks;

FIG. 32C illustrates top plan view of the shelf adapter that allows thetank to fit on racks designed for taller tanks;

FIG. 33 illustrates a basket that may be placed into the tank forallowing easier removal of aquatic species from each compartment of thetank;

FIG. 34 illustrates a ‘spawning insert’ that may be placed into the tankfor facilitating spawning process of aquatic species;

FIG. 35 is a tank fabricated out of acrylic with lids and dividersfabricated out of polycarbonate; and

FIG. 36 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention.

The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and arenot meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or theclaims. As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in apermissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather thanthe mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words“include,” “including,” and “includes” mean including but not limitedto. To facilitate understanding, like reference numerals have been used,where possible, to designate like elements common to the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are setforth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments orother examples described herein. In some instances, well-known methods,procedures, components and circuits have not been described in detail,so as to not obscure the following description.

Further, the examples disclosed are for exemplary purposes only andother examples may be employed in lieu of, or in combination with, theexamples disclosed. It should also be noted the examples presentedherein should not be construed as limiting of the scope of embodimentsof the present disclosure, as other equally effective examples arepossible and likely.

FIG. 1 is a top plan view drawing of a tank 100 according to oneembodiment of the present invention. The tank 100 is divided into twelvecompartments 101 by compartment dividers 102. The compartments 101 arefurther divided into forty-eight sub-compartments 103 by sub-compartmentdividers 104. The compartments 101 and sub-compartments 103 allowresearchers to isolate individual or groups of zebrafish from each otherduring the screening process in an efficient use of space and water. Thetank 100 may be constructed of a sturdy material capable of housing anaquatic specimen. For example, the material of the tank 100 may beplastic. The tank 100 and components may be constructed by any suitablemeans, including but not limited to injection mold processes.Alternatively, the material of the tank 100 may be metal, wood, glass,and the like, or any combination thereof. The tank 100 has ledges 105that provide space for such purposes as labeling of columns and rows foridentification of sub-compartments 103. The ledges 105 can also serve ashandles to transport the tank 100. The tank 100 may also have separatehandles 106 to allow for a sturdier grip when transporting the tank 100.

The tank 100 is divided into twelve compartments 101 by compartmentdividers 102. The dotted lines in the FIG. 1 illustrate removabledividers/baffles. The compartment dividers 102 may be permanentlyattached to the walls of tank 100 by any adhesive, such as glue, epoxy,and the like, or any combination thereof, or by other fastening means,such as nails, screws, bolts, and the like, or any combination thereof.Alternatively, the compartment dividers 102 may be removable. Forexample, there may be slots at the ends of each compartment 101 for thecompartment dividers 102 to slide in and out of. The slots may be formedby protrusions from the walls of tank 100 or by grooves in the walls oftank 100. The compartments 101 may or may not be equally spaced. Thecompartment dividers 102 may be constructed of a sturdy material thatmay or may not be the same as the material of tank 100. For example, thematerial of the compartment dividers 102 may be plastic. Alternatively,the material of the compartment dividers 102 may be metal, wood, glass,and the like, or any combination thereof.

Each compartment 101 is further divided into as many as foursub-compartments 103 by sub-compartment dividers 104. Similar to thecompartment dividers 102, the sub-compartment dividers 104 may bepermanently attached to the walls of tank 100 by any adhesive, such asglue, epoxy, and the like, or any combination thereof, or by otherfastening means, such as nails, screws, bolts, and the like, or anycombination thereof. Likewise, the sub-compartment dividers 104 may beremovable. For example, there may be slots built in to the walls of tank100 and the compartment dividers 102 at specific intervals for thesub-compartment dividers 104 to slide in and out of. The slots may beformed by protrusions from or grooves in the walls of tank 100 and/orthe compartment dividers 102. The sub-compartments 103 may or may not beequally spaced. The sub-compartment dividers 104 may be constructed of asturdy material that may or may not be the same as the material of thetank 100 or of the compartment dividers 102. For example, the materialof the sub-compartment dividers may be plastic. Alternatively, thematerial of the compartment dividers 102 may be metal, wood, glass, andthe like, or any combination thereof.

Each compartment 101 has a collection channel 107 at one end of thatcompartment 101. The collection channel 107 ends in a downspout 108 toempty water from the compartment 101 to a drainage system, where thewater may drain to a sewer system or alternatively be recycled. Thecollection channel 107 may be tapered to allow for the water in thecompartment 101 to more easily flow to the downspout 108. The downspout108 may be of any material suitable for water, such as glass, rubber,plastic, and the like. There should be a water-tight seal between thecollection channel 107 and the downspout 108 to prevent any leakage ofwater. This can be accomplished by any means known to a person skilledin the art, such as a gasket, epoxy, and the like, or any combinationthereof.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a 96 well plate 200. In an embodiment, the96 well plate 200 is of 8*12 matrix. Further, as shown, the 96 wellplate 200 includes ninety-six wells, such as a well 201. Furthermore,the 96 well plate 200 may be of standard kind made by any manufacturer.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view drawing of two of the tanks 100 depicted inFIG. 1 and described above, and a 96 well plate 200 with ninety-sixwells. The two tanks 100 with all the compartment dividers 102 andsub-compartment dividers 104 will have a total of ninety-sixsub-compartments 103. When the two tanks are arranged in theconfiguration as depicted in FIG. 14, the layout of the sub-compartments103 will mimic that of the 96 well plate 200.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view drawing of the tank 100 where each compartment101 is divided into only two sub-compartments 103. With more space persub-compartment 103 than the arrangement depicted in FIG. 1, thisarrangement allows researchers the flexibility of screening more thanone fish per sub-compartment 103 with more space than the arrangementdepicted in FIG. 1. This arrangement is particularly useful for holdingpairs of zebrafish while their embryos are screened for mutations ortrans-genesis.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view drawing of the tank 100, morespecifically, one compartment 101. A lid 109 is covering the compartment101. The lid 109 has an aperture 110 over each of the sub-compartments103. The apertures 110 may be any size and shape, and may serve asfeeding holes for the fish. Alternatively, the apertures 110 may serveas openings for introducing water into the compartment 101 from thewater source 307. The water source 307 may introduce water to thecompartment 101 through any one of the apertures 110. Each aperture 110may have its own flap or lid to prevent foreign material from enteringthe compartment 101 when the aperture 110 is not being utilized. The lid109 may or may not be made of the same material as the tank 100,compartment dividers 102, and/or sub-compartment dividers 104.

To allow for a constant flow of water from one sub-compartment 103 toanother, the sub-compartment dividers 104 do not touch the base of thetank 100 creating gaps 111. This may be accomplished by a lip on whichthe sub-compartment dividers 104 rest. The lip will be positioned at aset height above the base of the tank 100 and at the bottom of the slotsor grooves in which the sub-compartment dividers 104 slide in and out,such that the fish will be unable to swim under the sub-compartmentdividers 104 to get from one sub-compartment 103 to another.Additionally, the sub-compartment dividers 104 may have apertures inthem to further allow for the constant flow of water, especially in thesituation where the gaps 111 become clogged from debris. The apertureswill be sized small enough such that the fish will be unable to swimthrough them to get from one sub-compartment 103 to another.Additionally, compartmental dividers may also have a gap at the bottomto allow water to easily flow from one compartment to another (as shownfurther in FIG. 14A).

At the end of the compartment 101 where the collection channel 107 anddownspout 108 are located, there is an additional divider 104′ thatseparates the compartment 101 from the collection channel 107 anddownspout 108. The divider 104′ will be identical to the sub-compartmentdividers 104. The divider 104′ should be in place whenever there arefish in a compartment 101 so that the fish will be prevented fromentering the downspout 108 and ultimately the drainage system. However,the divider 104′ may be removable in a similar fashion as thesub-compartment dividers 104.

FIG. 6 is another side elevation view drawing of the tank 100 andcompartment 101 according to another embodiment of the presentinvention. In this embodiment, the water source 307 introduces water toeach of the sub-compartments 103 individually and at the same timethrough each of the apertures 110 in the lid 109. The lid 109 does nothave to be in place while the water is being introduced to thesub-compartments 103.

FIGS. 7 through 13 are top plan view drawings of the tank 100 depictedin FIG. 1 and lids 109 for each compartment 101, and illustrate the stepof applying lids 109 to the compartments 101. The lid 109 can be appliedto the compartment 101 by any means known to a person skilled in theart. For example, the lid 109 can slide into slots built into the top ofthe compartment dividers 102 and the walls of tank 100. Alternatively,the top edges of the compartment dividers 102 and the walls of tank 100can have notches cut out that span the entire length of each compartment101, creating a ledge for the lid 109 to rest on. Each lid 109 has fourapertures 110 such that when the lid 109 is fully covering thecompartment 101, an aperture 110 will be above each sub-compartment 103.The apertures 110 can serve as feeding holes for the fish in thesub-compartments 103, or as an entrance for introducing water into thecompartments 101. The apertures 110 may be any size or shape.Alternatively, the lids 109 may have no apertures 110.

FIGS. 14A and 14B are front elevation view of a divider 202, and frontelevation view of the tank 100 with plurality of such dividers 202,respectively. The divider 202 has a gap 203 at its bottom. The gap 203in the divider 202 allows water, food, and waste to pass through. Whenthe divider 223 is placed into a tank, such as tank 100 (as shown inFIG. 14B), the gap 203 in the divider 202 allows water, food, and wasteto flow from one compartment to other compartments of the tank 100.

Additionally, as shown in FIG. 14A, the divider 202 also has pluralityof holes 204 at its top section. The holes 204 in the divider 202 enablewater flow via the divider 202. When the divider 202 is placed into atank, such as tank 100 (as shown in FIG. 14B), the holes 204 in thedivider 202 makes a passage for the water to pass to adjacentcompartments. Thereby, the holes 204 ensure proper flow of water incompartments of the tank 100 even if the gap 203 of any divider 202 getsclogged.

FIGS. 15A and 15B are front elevation views of a divider 205 having anopening (not shown) covered by a fine mesh, such as mesh 206 and 207.Some research requires raising an individual fry or larva separate fromother fry or larva because of their unique genetic, morphological, orphenotypic characteristics. According to the state of art technology,the only way to raise an individual fry/larva is by keeping themseparately in individual tanks. However, by using the tank with thedividers 205 having an opening covered by fine mesh, such as mesh 206and 207, researchers can raise individual larva or fry in same tankhaving different compartments.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the divider 205 (asshown in FIG. 15A) may have a fine mesh 206 of 800 micron. In anotherexemplary embodiment of the present invention, the divider 205 (as shownin FIG. 15B) may have a fine mesh 207 of 400 micron. Researchers mayselect any of the mesh of either 400 micron or 800 micron for thedivider 205, based on research requirements.

FIG. 16 is a front elevation view drawing of the system 300 according toone embodiment of the present invention. The system comprises amultitude of tanks 100, a housing rack 301, a water collection tank 302,a pump 303, water distribution pipes 304, and water drain pipes 305. Thehousing rack 301 is standard that may be provided by any manufacturer.Alternatively, the water distribution pipes 304 may come from the citywater supply system and the water drain pipes 305 may drain directly tothe sewer system in lieu of a water collection tank 302 and pump 303,respectively.

FIGS. 17 and 18 are side elevation view drawings of a tank 100 on adrawer 306. The drawer 306 is attached to a shelf 308 that is part ofthe housing rack 301. When the drawer 306 is pushed in, the downspout108 will be positioned above a drainage trough 309. When the water levelreaches a certain level, which is determined by the height of thecollection channel 107, the water will empty to the downspout 108 intothe drainage trough 309, and ultimately to a water collection tank 302or alternatively to the sewer system. Therefore, the water source 307should be turned off when the drawer 306 is extended to prevent waterspillage. When the drawer 306 is extended, a researcher will be able toaccess the tank 100 for any purpose such as testing and/or feeding fish,cleaning the tank, and the like.

FIG. 19 is a top plan view drawing of four tanks 400 according toanother embodiment of the present invention. Each tank 400 is dividedinto six compartments 401 by compartment dividers 402. The compartments401 are further divided into twenty-four sub-compartments 403 bysub-compartment dividers 404. With four tanks 400 arranged in theconfiguration depicted in FIG. 19, the layout of the sub-compartments403 will mimic that of a 96 well plate.

Each tank 400 may be constructed of a sturdy material. For example, thematerial of the each tank 400 may be plastic. Alternatively, thematerial of each tank 400 may be metal, wood, glass, and the like, orany combination thereof. Each tank 400 has ledges 405 that provide spacefor such purposes as labeling of columns and rows for identification ofsub-compartments 403. The ledges 405 can also serve as handles totransport each tank 400. Each tank 400 may also have separate handles406 to allow for a sturdier grip when transporting each tank 400.

Each tank 400 is divided into six compartments 401 by compartmentdividers 402. The compartment dividers 402 may be permanently attachedto the walls of each tank 400 by any adhesive, such as glue, epoxy, andthe like, or any combination thereof, or by other fastening means, suchas nails, screws, bolts, and the like, or any combination thereof.Alternatively, the compartment dividers 402 may be removable. Forexample, there may be slots at the ends of each compartment 401 for thecompartment dividers 402 to slide in and out of. The slots may be formedby protrusions from the walls of tank 400 or by grooves in the walls ofeach tank 400. The compartments 401 may or may not be equally spaced.The compartment dividers 402 may be constructed of a sturdy materialthat may or may not be the same as the material of each tank 400. Forexample, the material of the compartment dividers 402 may be plastic.Alternatively, the material of the compartment dividers 402 may bemetal, wood, glass, and the like, or any combination thereof.

Each compartment 401 is further divided into as many as foursub-compartments 403 by sub-compartment dividers 404. Similar to thecompartment dividers 402, the sub-compartment dividers 404 may bepermanently attached to the walls of tank 400 by any adhesive, such asglue, epoxy, and the like, or any combination thereof, or by otherfastening means, such as nails, screws, bolts, and the like, or anycombination thereof. Likewise, the sub-compartment dividers 404 may beremovable. For example, there may be slots built in to the walls of eachtank 400 and the compartment dividers 402 at specific intervals for thesub-compartment dividers 404 to slide in and out of. The slots may beformed by protrusions from or grooves in the walls of each tank 400and/or the compartment dividers 402. The sub-compartments 403 may or maynot be equally spaced. The sub-compartment dividers 404 may beconstructed of a sturdy material that may or may not be the same as thematerial of the tank 400 or of the compartment dividers 402. Forexample, the material of the sub-compartment dividers 404 may beplastic. Alternatively, the material of the compartment dividers 402 maybe metal, wood, glass, and the like, or any combination thereof.

Each compartment 401 has a collection channel 407 at one end of thatcompartment 401. The collection channel 407 ends in a downspout 408 toempty water from the compartment 401 to a drainage system, where thewater may drain to a sewer system or alternatively be recycled. Thecollection channel 407 may be tapered to allow for the water in thecompartment 401 to more easily flow to the downspout 108. The downspout408 may be of any material suitable for water, such as glass, rubber,plastic, and the like. There should be a water-tight seal between thecollection channel 407 and the downspout 408 to prevent any leakage ofwater. This can be accomplished by any means known to a person skilledin the art, such as a gasket, epoxy, and the like, or any combinationthereof.

The arrangement of the sub-compartment dividers 404 will be as depictedin FIG. 5. Each compartment 401 will have a lid as depicted in FIGS. 7through 13. Furthermore, each tank 400 will be housed on a housing rackas depicted in FIGS. 17 and 18.

FIGS. 20 through 27 illustrate various views of the tank 400 as depictedin FIG. 19. FIG. 20 illustrates a disassembled tank placed on atransport cart. Further as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, walls of tank 400and the compartment dividers 402 have protrusions 412 that form slots413 in which the sub-compartment dividers 404 slide in and out. At thebottom of each slot 413, there is a lip 414 on which the sub-compartmentdivider 404 sits, leaving a gap 411 (as shown in FIGS. 22 and 23) thatallows water to flow from one sub-compartment to another. Furthermore,there is a back cover 415 that covers the collection channels 407 anddownspouts 408. The back cover 415 may be applied to the tank 400 by anymeans known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. For example, theremay be slots at the top of the walls of tank 400 in which the back cover415 may be inserted. The back cover 415 may prevent foreign materialsfrom entering the collection channels 407 and downspouts 408.Additionally, the back cover 415 may provide space for labeling thecompartments 401 for identification purposes.

Each compartment 401 has a lid 409. The lid 409 can be applied to thecompartment 401 by any means known to a person skilled in the art. Forexample, the lid 409 can slide into slots built into the top of thecompartment dividers 402 and the walls of tank 400. Alternatively, thetop edges of the compartment dividers 402 and the walls of tank 400 canhave notches cut out that span the entire length of each compartment401, creating a ledge for the lid 409 to rest on. Each lid 409 hasapertures 410 such that when the lid 409 is fully covering thecompartment 401, an aperture 410 will be above each sub-compartment 403.The apertures 410 can serve as feeding holes for the fish in thesub-compartments 403, or as an entrance for introducing water into thecompartments 401. The apertures 410 may be any size or shape.Alternatively, the lids 409 may have no apertures 410.

In FIG. 21, the compartment dividers 402 and the sub-compartmentdividers are installed in such a manner that allows each compartment ofthe tank 400 to accommodate 24 fishes. FIG. 22 illustrates a water flowdiagram showing a drainage trough 416 and a water supply hose 417 in thetank 400. Further, a gap 411 is illustrated (in FIGS. 22 and 23) in thesub-compartment divers 404 of the tank 400 for allowing food, water, andwaste to pass to other compartments of the tank 400. A fish 208 isillustrated in the FIG. 23. FIG. 24 illustrates removal of thesub-compartment dividers 404 from the tank 400. FIG. 25 illustrates thetank 400 holding 12 pairs of fishes, such as fish 208. FIG. 26illustrates a single sub-compartment divider 404 that is placed toprevent the fishes from escaping, wherein all other sub-compartmentdividers are removed. FIG. 27 illustrates a lid 409 covered over eachcompartment of the tank 400.

FIGS. 28A, 28B, 28C, and 28D illustrate front and perspective views ofthe tank 400 housed on a housing rack 301. In an embodiment, the housingrack 301 is a 0.8 L rack. The housing rack 301 also houses largerindividual tanks in accordance with an existing system and method fortesting zebrafish. These views offer a comparison of the system 300 inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention and the existingsystem. The tank may be designed to fit on preexisting rack systemsbuilt by multiple manufacturers. Guides or rails on the bottom of thetank fit around the support bars on existing rack systems to lock thetank in place (as shown in FIG. 29A).

FIG. 29A illustrates the tank 400 with rails 418 at its bottom surface.The rails 418 may be used for locking the tank 400 onto a tank-holdingbar 419. Such additional feet (rails) 418 added to the bottom corners ofthe tank 400 stabilize the tank when the tank is on a flat surface.Further, side and bottom elevation views of the rails 418 areillustrated in FIGS. 29B and 29C, respectively.

FIG. 30 illustrates front elevation view of a housing rack 301 withlarger individual tanks, such as tanks 450 for testing zebrafish.Further, in FIG. 30, a 1.8 L tank is shown. Furthermore various baffles452 are also shown in the housing rack 301. Additionally a drainagetrough 309 is illustrated in the housing rack 301.

FIG. 31A illustrates a perspective view of a housing rack 301 withlarger individual tanks for testing zebrafish. Further, FIG. 31Billustrates a 96 well plate 200 having 96 wells, such as a well 201.

FIG. 32A illustrates a shelf adapter 420 that is used to accommodate atank, such as tank 400, onto a housing rack that is designed toaccommodate substantially taller tanks. Zebrafish research holdingsystem manufacturers generally build two different types ofshelves/housing racks. One is designed to hold short holding tanks andthe other is designed to hold taller holding tanks. The system mayaccommodate the tank on shelves designed to hold short holding tankswith little or no modification. In case, if a tank is to be placed on ashelf designed to hold taller holding tanks, then the shelf adapter 420is required to be used (as shown in FIG. 32A). Further, the shelfadapter 420 is designed to lock on the existing shelf/housing rack forlocking the tank on the shelf adapter 420. The shelf adapter 420 alsoenables the tank drain spouts to fit into the drainage trough of a tallholding tank shelf.

Further, the shelf adapter 420 has rails that lock the shelf adapter 420onto a rack system and a bar that allows the tank to lock on to theshelf adapter 420. Side view and bottom views of the shelf adapter areillustrated in FIGS. 32B and 32C respectively. In an exemplaryembodiment, the dark shaded bars, such as bar 421, may be of dimension1″, and the light shaded bars, such as bars 422 a and 422 b, may be ofdimension ¾′. Additionally, as shown in the FIG. 32B, the gap betweenthe two light shaded bars (i.e. 422 a and 422 b) is in-line with thedark shaded bar 421 above. Furthermore, the dimensions shown in theFIGS. 32B and 32C are meant only for enabling a person skilled in theart to implement the present invention. However, the dimensions are notmean for restricting the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 33 illustrates a basket 423 that may be placed into a tank, such astank 400, for facilitating removal of aquatic species, such aszebrafish, from the tank 400. In an embodiment of the present invention,the basket 423 is removable. Further, for easier removal of the aquaticspecies from the tank 400, baskets 423 containing slots/holes 424 may beplaced into each compartment of the tank 400. Such basket 423facilitates easier removal of the aquatic species from each compartmentof the tank 400. This eliminates the need to net each aquatic speciesout of the compartments of the tank 400. Further, the baskets 423 may ormay not be used in conjunction with section dividers. Additionally, eachbasket 423 has a handle 425 for easy removal of the basket 423 from thecompartments of the tank 400. The handle 425 may be folded (not shown)into edge of the basket 423.

FIG. 34 illustrates a ‘spawning insert’ 426 that may be placed into atank, such as tank 400, for facilitating spawning process of aquaticspecies, such as a fish/zebrafish. By using the spawning insert 426,fishes may be spawned directly in the tank 400. This eliminates the needfor a separate spawning vessel. Further, to make use of the spawninginserts 426, the spawning inserts 426 are placed inside each compartmentof the tank 400 and then fishes are added into the compartmentscontaining spawning inserts 426. Further, the sloped and rough spawningsurface of the spawning insert 426 helps in initiating spawning. When afish spawn, eggs of the fish get sink through a large screen 427covering the top of the spawning insert 426 and come to rest on a finemesh screen 428 at the bottom of the spawning insert 426.

After a set amount of time, usually a night, the spawning/breedinginserts 426 are removed and the eggs are collected into Petri dishes(not shown) or the like which are labeled with the coordinates of thelocation of the breeding pair in the tank. As the eggs are removed, thefish is not required to be removed from the tank 400. Embryos of eggsare then screened for phenotype, genotype, or transgenic expression, andfish from clutches of interest are easily located in the tank.

FIG. 35 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present inventionwherein a tank is fabricated out of acrylic and its dividers and lidsare fabricated out of polycarbonate.

FIG. 36 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method 500 for testingand researching fish in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. The method 500 begins at step 501. At step 502, theresearcher fills a tank with water. The tank may be as depicted in FIG.1 or 17, or any other variation thereof. At step 503, the researcherinserts the required number of sub-compartment dividers to create thenecessary number of sub-compartments given the type of testing to beperformed. For example, if embryonic screening for mutant phenotypes isbeing performed, less sub-compartment dividers will be required as thefish will be housed in pairs in each sub-compartment. At step 504, theresearcher performs the procedure on the fish, for example collectingembryos from spawning pairs. At step 505, the researcher transfers thesamples taken in step 504 to the appropriate storage device, such as apetri dish, beaker, test tube, 96 well plate, and the like, given thespecific type of testing and research being performed. At step 506, theresearcher places the fish into the sub-compartments of the tank. Ifthere are any empty sub-compartments and additional fish are to betested, then the researcher repeats steps 504 through 506 until all thesub-compartments are filled. Otherwise, the researcher will proceed tostep 507. At step 507, the researcher slides a compartment lid over eachcompartment. At step 508, the researcher transfers the tank to thehousing rack by placing the tank on the drawer. At step 509, theresearcher connects the water supply source to each compartment andpushes the drawer in such that each of the downspouts are positionedover the drainage trough located on each housing rank shelf. At 510, theresearcher starts the water supply to each compartment so that freshwater can constantly circulate from each sub-compartment to the next tothe collection channel and downspout. The method ends at step 511.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention,other and further embodiments of the present invention may be devisedwithout departing from the basic scope thereof. In particular, it shouldbe appreciated that any element of any embodiments disclosed herein maybe combined with any other elements from any other embodiments disclosedherein, in accordance with yet further embodiments of the presentinvention.

The present invention, in various embodiments, configurations, andaspects, includes components, methods, processes, systems and apparatussubstantially as depicted and described herein, including variousembodiments, sub-combinations, and subsets thereof. Those of skill inthe art will understand how to make and use the present invention afterunderstanding the present disclosure. The present invention, in variousembodiments, configurations, and aspects, includes providing apparatusand processes in the absence of items not depicted and/or describedherein or in various embodiments, configurations, or aspects hereof,including in the absence of such items as may have been used in previousdevices or processes, e.g., for improving performance, achieving easeand reducing cost of implementation.

The foregoing discussion of the present invention has been presented forpurposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intendedto limit the present invention to the form or forms disclosed herein. Inthe foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of thepresent invention are grouped together in one or more embodiments,configurations, or aspects for the purpose of streamlining thedisclosure. The features of the embodiments, configurations, or aspectsof the present invention may be combined in alternate embodiments,configurations, or aspects other than those discussed above. This methodof disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention thatthe claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recitedin each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventiveaspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosedembodiment, configuration, or aspect. Thus, the following claims arehereby incorporated into this detailed description, with each claimstanding on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

Moreover, though the description of the present invention has includeddescription of one or more embodiments, configurations, materials,measurements, dimensions, or aspects and certain variations andmodifications, other variations, combinations, and modifications arewithin the scope of the present invention, e.g., as may be within theskill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the presentdisclosure. It is intended to obtain rights which include alternativeembodiments, configurations, or aspects to the extent permitted,including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures,functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or not suchalternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions,ranges or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publiclydedicate any patentable subject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for testing and researching aquaticspecies, the system comprising: a housing rack; at least one tank sizedto be received by the housing rack, wherein the at least one tankcomprises at least one compartment having at least one divider; a drainfor draining water from the at least one compartment; and at least oneremovable basket in the at least one compartment for allowing removal ofaquatic species from the at least one tank.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein the at least one tank further comprises a spawning insert forspawning the aquatic species.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the atleast one tank further comprises sub-compartments within the at leastone compartment.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least onedivider further comprises a gap for allowing water, food, and waste toflow from the at least one compartment to another compartment.
 5. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the at least one divider further comprises atleast one opening for allowing water to flow from the at least onecompartment to another compartment.
 6. An apparatus for testing andresearching aquatic species, comprising: at least one tank; a drain fordraining water from the at least one tank; and at least one removablebasket in the at least one tank for allowing removal of aquatic speciesfrom the at least one tank.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the atleast one tank comprises at least one compartment.
 8. The apparatus ofclaim 7, wherein the at least one compartment comprises at least onedivider.
 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one tankfurther comprises sub-compartments within the at least one compartment.10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one tank furthercomprises a spawning insert for spawning the aquatic species.
 11. Theapparatus of claim 8 wherein the at least one divider further comprisesa gap for allowing water, food, and waste to flow from the at least onecompartment to another compartment.
 12. The apparatus of claim 8,wherein the at least one divider further comprises at least one openingfor allowing water to flow from the at least one compartment to anothercompartment.
 13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least onedivider further comprises an opening covered by a mesh.
 14. A system fortesting and researching aquatic species, the system comprising: at leastone tank comprising at least one compartment, said compartment having atleast one divider; a drain for each at least one compartment fordraining water from the at least one compartment; at least one removablebasket in the at least one compartment for allowing removal of aquaticspecies from the at least one tank; a housing rack; at least one drawerhoused within the housing rack; a water collection tank into which waterfrom the at least one drainage trough drains; and a pump for pumping thewater from the water collection tank.
 15. The system of claim 14,wherein the at least one tank further comprises a spawning insert forspawning the aquatic species.
 16. The system of claim 14, wherein the atleast one tank further comprises sub-compartments within the at leastone compartment.
 17. The system of claim 14 wherein the at least onedivider further comprises a gap for allowing water, food, and waste toflow from the at least one compartment to another compartment.
 18. Thesystem of claim 14, wherein the at least one divider further comprisesat least one opening for allowing water to flow from the at least onecompartment to another compartment.
 19. The system of claim 14, whereinthe at least one divider further comprises an opening covered by a mesh.20. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one removable basketcomprises at least one slot, at least one hole, and at least one handle.